My Itinerary

Hambleden

Towns & Villages

Hambleden is one of its prettiest villages of brick and flint cottages, in one of the most attractive valleys in the Chiltern Hills.
St Mary's church dates from the 14th century and includes a conspicuous memorial to Cope D'Oyley (who died in 1633) and his family. The tower contains eight bells and the ceiling is quite intricately decorated in parts.The post office in the village serves also the local shop and cafe.

The Jacobean style manor house was built in 1603 of flint and stone. Charles I stayed there overnight in 1646 while fleeing from Oxford. Another notable building is the Old Rectory built in 1794.

Hambleden was the home village of William Henry Smith, founder (in 1821) of the book chain W H Smith, he died in 1891 and is buried in the new cemetery. Lord Cardigan, famous for his role in leading the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade, was born in the Manor House. The sea chest that he took to the Crimea can be seen in the church.

The attractive village has often been used as a film location, such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dance with a Stranger and the opening scenes of the recent remake of The Avengers starring Ralph Fiennes and also some scenes of 101 Dalmatians. Hambleden was also used in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers to depict Easy Company's training in England. Also, the Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow, starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, included a month-long location shoot at Lime Tree Valley, in Hambleden.

A mile to the south of Hambleden at Mill End are the historic watermill, Hambleden Mill, now converted into flats, and Hambleden Lock on the River Thames, both of which feature in the novel Three Men In A Boat.